Closure and frame construction



Oct. 14, 1952 A. G. DEAN 2,613,406

CLOSUREAND FRAME CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 8, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET lINVENTOR.

Hlberlc Deum,

TTRNEY Oct. 14, 1952 A. G. DEAN cLosURE AND FRAME: CONSTRUCTION 2SHEETS--SHEET 2 Filed Jan. 8, 1949 INVENTOR..

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Wm A me) ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 14, `19522 CLOSURE AND FRAMECONSTRUCTION Albert G. Dean, Narberth, Pa., assignor to The BuddCompany, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania ApplicationJanuary 8, 1949, Serial No. 69,856

V6 claims. (C1. 20A-69?) This inventionrelates to a closure and frameconstruction and has for an object therprovision of improvements in thisart.

One of the particular objects of the invention is to provide a closureand frame construction f which furnishes a dependable weather sealagainst the entry of air or water (rain, snow, or the like) and againstthe freezing of ice around the closure joints where it might interferewith the opening of the closure.

Another object is to provide a Dutch type closure construction which isdivided transversely and which provides a good weather seal of thenon-freezing type at the dividing joint.

Another object is to provide a simple but strong closure and frameconstruction which furnishes the desired weather seal. y

Another object is to provide a closure and frame with means for holdingthe parts tightly together but which does not obstruct the free drainageof water, which furnishes the minimum obstruction to traffic passagethrough the closure opening, and the least complication of related wallconstructions.

The construction has been developed and is especially suitable for usein connection with outside vestibledocrs of railway cars, and will bedescribed in this setting but without limitation upon its many othermanifest uses. p ln the accompanying drawings of this illustrativeembodiment:

Figure 1 is an outer side elevation of one end of a railway car having avestibule door or closure embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged inside elevation of the door and frame, the dooron the opposite side from that of Fig. 1 being shown;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section through the top of the door andframe, the view being taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

' Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the transverse jointbetween the upper and lower parts of the door, the view being taken onthe line 4-4 of Figure 2; l

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the bottom of the doorand frame, the View being taken on the line 5--5 of FigureZ;

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal section through the front, outer orfastener side of the door and frame, the view being taken on the line6--6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an enlarged horizontal section through the rear, inner orhinge side of the door and frame, the view being taken on the line 'l--lof Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a slightly enlarged verticalsection taken on the line 8 8 ofFigure 6, showing a door latch in closed position; and

Figure 9 is a vertical broken partial section of a slightly modifiedconstruction.

In l'Figure l a railway car I0 with sidewalls i I is shown to beprovided with an outer vestibule door frame i2 which is closed by atwo-part Dutch door I3 including an upper part or section I3a and alower part or section |319. For convenience the elements of the frameare designated as the top IEa, the outer or latch side |2b, the inner orhinge side I2C, and the bottom or threshold I2d, which is a part of afoldable trap door or of a step assembly I4 which is folded up when thedoor is closed.

As shown in Figure 2, each part or half of the door is mounted on hingesI'l, preferably of the piano type illustrated, and each half is heldclosed by a latch I8 which is mounted on the frame. The latch cooperateswith a keeper camstop element I9, shown best in Figures 6 and 8, toforce the door parts into closed position. The bottom stop ledge lilaprevents the latch from dropping down oit the keeper and thus preventsthe door from opening inadvertently. When the door is open the insidehandle Ilia may be placed over against the outer end wall 2U of thevestibule, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, but if it drops down itwill stand clear of the door in closing, to prevent injury. t may beraised by reopening the door until the handle is cleared. Another handleI8b may be provided on the outside of the car.

Whenunlatched, the upper part of the door may be grasped by a pull 22provided thereon. The lower door, which is opened last, may be moved bygrasping its upper edge. By placing the latch on the frame and byproviding a thin pull plate which overlies the panel space behind it,the door is left without any substantial inside projections, and it isnot necessary to provide projection-receiving recesses in the inner endvestibule wall 23 as has been common heretofore. Latches 24 maybeprovided at or on the wall 23 to hold the door parts open.

, Around all outer edges of the door and between the parts of the doorthe structure is so formed as to provide relatively large interiorchannels 25 which are almost closed on the outside to minimize the entryof air or water but whoseouter edges are still sufiiciently spaced apartto prevent freezing together under most conditions. The shelteredchannels are fully closed on the inner side by weatherstripping 26. Theweatherstripping is so placed as to avoid the formation of a dam forwater which might freeze to hold the parts together. The shelteredchannel prevents all but a small amount of water from entering from theoutside, even in a hard side-driving wind, and the channels allinterconnect and open at the bottom so as to rapidly drain away suchwater as does enter. Moreover, the weatherstripping is all located atthe inner side of the drainage channel where the heat from inside thecar can reach it and prevent freezing of such small amounts of water asmay get in. At vthe outside the channel is dened by sharp edges whichprevent inward creep of water and cause it to drip off. If ice shouldform here, it will be in a thin sheet extending from a narrow edgepresented toward the adjacent part, hence easily broken; and if such athin sheet does form over the outside. it will seal the channel againstthe entry of practically all water.

The upper door part or section |3a (Figures 3, 4, v6 and 7) is formed ofa main panel 30 to which near each edge there Yis secured the flange ofan angle member 3| which at its outer edge is spaced from the main panel30 and connected therewith at the top and bottom by an inwardly-bottomed U-shaped peripheral member 32. At the front and back edges thevmain panel 30 is bent laterally and then back into a parallel plane,and its outer flange thus formed i-s secured to the border angle member3|. At the front edge, Figure 6, the border member 3| is turned over andvback on the outer flange of the main panel to form a thin stiff edge.At the rear, Figure 7, besides the leaf of hinge there is secured anangle-section strip 33, all secured together, for example, by bolts. Aninner panel 34, as of glass, is secured to the inner ledges of the mainpanel 30, as by a well-known type of vrubber strip molding 35. At thetop the U-section strip 32 has its outer leg shorter than its inner legso as to pass the weatherstrip 26a which is secured to `the top of theframe and allowing the inner leg to engage the weatherstrip.

The lower door part or section |3b (Figures 4 and 5) is formed of a mainpanel '40 to which neareach edge there is secured the flange of anangle-section member 4| which at its outer edge is spaced from the mainpanel 40 and is connected therewith at the top and .bottom by a U-shapedperipheral member 42. At the front and back edges the construction islike Athat described for the upper door part. A stiiening strip 4B issecured across the main panel -4'0 and cover` trim plates 41 are securedover all the Araw inside edges, these trim plates also serving tostiffen and strengthen the lower door part.

The weatherstrip 26a fat the top l(Figure '3) is tubular and secured tothe `top |-2a of the frame. An .inwardly extending projection lor edge'48 of the lframe stands close to the outer surface of the door whenitis closed and with the door forms the restricted entrance into thevchannel 25 at the top.

At the rear (Figure '7) the weatherstrip 25e is tubular and secured tothe .rear or inner part |2c of the frame. One flange of Ithe anglevmember v33 engages the weatherstrip when the door is closed. Aninwardly extending projection or edge 49 of the frame stands close tothe outer surface of the door when it is closed and with the door formsthe restricted entrance into the channel 25 at the rear or hinge-edge ofthe door.

At the front (Figure 6) the weatherstrip '26h is tubularand secured tothe front or outer part |211 of the frame. An inwardly extendingprojection or edge 50 of the frame stands close to the outer surface ofthe door when it is closed and with the door forms the restrictedentrance into the channel 25 at the front or latch edge of the door.

At the bottom (Figure 5) the weatherstrip 26d is iat and secured to the:inside bottom surface of the door. It engages a vertical portion of thethreshold. The threshold slopes downwardly toward the outside to drain.Here the lower outer edge of the door stands near the top of thethreshold to form the restricted opening into the -channel 25 when theVdoor is closed.

At .the middle (Figure 4) the weatherstrip 26e is `flat and secured tothe inside bottom surface of the upper door part and engages the topinside surface of the lower door part. The lower outer edge of the upperdoor part and the upper outer edge of the lower door part stand closetogether when the door parts are closed to define the restricted openinginto the channel 25. In a double door of this type it is considered thatone part forms va part lof the frame of the other part.

In the modified form shown in Figure 9 the upper door part |3a at itsbottom edge is provided with a sharp-edged .projection 3|a which extendsoutwardly and Adownwardly 'within l"the channel 25 to cause any Waterwhich is flowing downward to drip off .into the channel and ldrain olf.This protects against creep of water to the weatherstrip 256'., which is-made bulbous in this form. At the bottom of the lower door, part |3b"is likewise .provided with a drip projection 4|a' which protects theweatherstrip 26d' against creeping water. The drip projectionspreferably extend at their ends -to the verticalweatherstripping. Thereis thus provided at the lower edges, where water creep is mosttroublesome, both outer and inner drip edges, which, with the'cooperating structure, give great assurance of excluding al1 water.

It is thus seen that there is provi-ded 'a vsimple and strong door andframe construction; that it minimizes the passage of weather into theprotected channels; that lit effectively Vdrains water entering thesechannels; that it seals the channels on the inside; and that it providessecure and convenient means for holding the .door against its sealingstrips.

While one Aembodiment of the invention 'has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be apparent that there may be various embodimentswithin the broad concept of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A closure and'franie assembly comprising in combination, a closure; aframe Yfor .said closure, the closure and frame being formed .toAprovide a peripheral channel on at least one horizontal and onevertical side of the closure, the channels at their outer `facial Asideeach having a restricted slit opening providing a clear entrance to thechannel, the outer restricted slit opening being vdefined on at leastyone side by a relatively sharp pincer-like edge extending toward theaidjacent opposed side kof the slit opening. the outer slit openingbeing free vfrom atwise overlapping parts, the channels 'on 'the innerfacial 'side `each also having a restricted slit opening, the innerrestricted slit opening of a horizontal side being located at anvelevation higher than the lowermost Aportion of the channel, andweatherstripping closing the inner slit openings of the chan-y nels.

2. A closure and frame assembly as set forth in claim 1, furthercharacterized by the fact that said closure is formed in two separateparts meeting along a horizontal joint, one of which, when closed, formsa part of the frame for the other, the closure parts at the horizontaljoint being so made as to form between them an enlarged common channelhaving slit openings on the outer and inner facial sides, the outer slitopenings being defined on at least one side by a relatively sharppincer-like edge extending toward the adjacent opposed side of the slitopening, the inner slit opening of the common chann nel being located atan elevation higher than the lowermost portion of the channel, andweatherstripping closing the inner slit opening of the common channel.

3. A closure and frame assembly as set forth in claim 1, furthercharacterized by the fact that there is an enlarged peripheral channelaround each side of the closure, said channels being connected and thevertical channels serving to drain liquid from a horizontal channel.

4. A closure and frame assembly as set forth in claim 1, furthercharacterized by the fact that the closure is provided around at leastone of its peripheral sides with a U-shaped channel which forms part ofthe aforesaid peripheral channel between the closure and its frame.

5. A closure and frame assembly as set forth in claim 2, furthercharacterized by the fact that said common horizontal channel betweenthe two parts of the closure is formed by companion U- shaped channelsformed on the two parts of the closure.

6. A closure and frame assembly as set forth in claim 1, furthercharacterized by the fact that the inner slit opening of one of thehorizontal channels is provided on the upper side with a drip ledgeextending outwardly toward the outer facial side of the channel andhaving its lower edge standing above the bottom of the channel betweenthe outer and inner facial sides of the channel.

ALBERT G. DEAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 797,835 Barr Aug. 22, 19051,270,012 Conwell June 18, 1918 1,563,409 Walker Dec. 1, 1925 1,726,186Lane Aug. 27, 1929 1,897,643 Reese Feb. 14, 1933 1,907,091 Pettit May.2, 1933 2,058,711 Morton Oct. 27, 1936 2,421,400 Young June 3, 1947

